The Secrets in the Agent and Anthropologist
by Zelda Aurion
Summary: Booth looked at Bones, covered with dirt and gasping for breath. She was alive. They foiled the Gravedigger. And Booth saw it in her beautiful face: there was no going back from the look in her eyes. Discontinued. B/B and some A/H.


Hey everybody! Basically, I wrote the wonderful episode we all know and love as a novel and added stuff that I think went on but we didn't see in the episode. Plus, the gravedigger is revealed and captured and boy if Booth going to be pissed!

So read and review! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bones. If I did, I'd have made the Bones/Booth kiss so much better!

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"What do you say we go to New York for the weekend

"What do you say we go to New York for the weekend?" Camille Saroyan smiled alluringly at the man sitting across from her, a mixture of lust and liking in her eyes.

"Yeah." Special Agent Seeley Booth did not look up from his food at the woman who was supposed to be his girlfriend, though strictly speaking that was a secret. At the moment he was thinking randomly about the case of the Gravedigger, seeing his son next weekend, that sort of thing. "Yea, I don't know," Booth responded.

Cam sighed. "Come on, we're two adults with no obligations—."

A high pitched whine broke the air and Booth's hand immediately flew to his jacket pocket. Cam grabbed it. "Let it go to voice mail," she said, smiling, though her eyes and tone were serious. Dead body or not, his partner or not, it could wait. "We're not cheating. We're not hurting anybody, Seeley."

Booth grimaced inwardly. He liked Cam. She was smart, funny, confident, and the sex was…well…but he couldn't fathom why she always called him Seeley. "Then why we're keeping our relationship such a secret, Camille?" he asked, jabbing her with her first name that she too disliked.

She ignored him. "Because we work together and we're professionals and it's nobody's business, that's all. So come to New York. We'll go to a musical."

Booth laughed. "Talking and singing and talking and dancing and more singing.…" Talk about an awful time. "You know," he said reaching into his pocket for his phone, "if you want to stop what we're doing just say so."

Booth dialed his voicemail. It wasn't that he hated musicals. Not that, not really. What he hated was knowing that this fling with Cam was meaningless. Sooner or later it would end and though he cared for her, he wouldn't be very torn up about it. It had been like that for almost a year now. It was strange, but rejection, failed relationships, failed pursuits, none of it mattered anymore. He never felt the loss now. He never felt as though he had been left behind. And he knew why.

Dr. Temperance Brennan. Bones. His partner and friend. He smiled at the thought. Together, they were an unstoppable duo, her outstanding intelligence and talent matched well with his intuition. But beyond their partnership was the amazing friendship that he could feel building between the two. She was everything he wasn't, and he liked it about her. And he knew that she had his back when others failed him…and he knew that he would stop at nothing to protect her. Booth looked up at Camille, playing his new message as she spoke again.

"You can fantasize about pulling out your gun and shooting everyone on stage," Camille said with a laugh. "You know you like that. No, seriously we'll do something that you like…"

Booth froze. Camille's mouth kept moving but every word was mute, every syllable taking an age to form. The cars rushing past the dinner slowed to hazy moving blurs and people becoming crawling silhouettes, all undefined and meaningless as his vision swayed and his world stopped. It all became fixed on one sentence, one voice distorted by electricity and menace.

"Temperance Brennan and Jack Hodgins have been buried alive."

"What is it?" Cam asked. "What happened?!"

"Bones," Booth said, surprised at how firm his voice was. "We have to go."

"Seeley—."

"Now," Booth barked, leaping up and moving toward the door, pulling and shoving people away.

"Seeley, what happened?" Cam demanded following. "Seeley! Look at me!" She grabbed his jacket and yanked him around to face her.

Booth's hands closed around Cam's, his brown eyes on fire with anger and desperation. "The Grave Digger has Bones."

"That's not possible," Cam said without hesitation.

"It's true," Booth said, turning back to the car, but she stopped him again.

"Seeley, wait!" Cam insisted. "Calm down and think for a moment. How could he possibly have her?"

Booth ripped her hands away from him. "I don't have time to convince you. You can either believe me and get in the car or walk to the Jeffersonian. But get the hell outta my way, Camille."

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"Temperance Brennan and Jack Hodgins have been buried alive. Wire transfer 8 million to the following Grand Cayman account or they will suffocate to death. Upon receipt of the wire transfer, I will provide you Brennan and Hodgins GPS Coordinates. This will be my last communication."

"It will be his last communication too," said Vega, the author of the book detailing the inner workers of the grave digger. He had seen his work five times and knew exactly what would come of this. "He's never varied."

"You learn from the Kent boys," added his assistant, Kim. "He's got two of them, he cut the deadline in half."

"But why is the grave digger demanding so much money?" Vega mused aloud. "Doesn't make any sense. He's always been reasonable at knowing how much money people can raise within the time limit." He looked up at Booth. "Has Dr. Brennan made that much money from her books?"

Booth's gut twisted as her name was spoken by this stranger without feeling or concern. He was just looking for another story. Another mark on his resume. And Bones might die for it.

"It's Hodgins," Booth said heavily. "He's the sole heir to this thing called The Cantilever Group."

"And what's that?" Vega asked.

"Just the third largest privately owned corporation in the country..." said his assistant.

Booth glared at the man. "Make sense now Tom?"

Booth stormed out, past Cam's office where she was briefing the squints on what had happened. He didn't glance until a muffled cry met his ears. Looking he saw Angela with her hands over her mouth, tears running swiftly down her cheeks, shaking her head.

_That's right_, thought Booth. _Hodgins is down there too. With Bones. Poor Angela._

Booth didn't pay a single bit of attention to where his feet were taking him, but everyone he met knew to stay away from him. His face was as stern as ever, but his eyes would devour anyone who looked at him then.

He was suddenly before a door. The fluorescent lights glinted of the shiny bronze plaque, black letters engraved deeply into the metal. Dr. Temperance Brennan.

_I guess it makes sense. I come here so often its just natural to take this path._ He stared at the door. _If I had a case file in my hands, I'd just open the door. Or knock. Aw, who am I kidding? I never knock. Sometimes it makes her mad. Maybe I'm dreaming. Maybe I'll open the door and she'll glare at me for not knocking._

His hand closed around the knob and he pushed the door open, his gut clenching uncomfortably as he looked around.

_God, nothing looks any different. It's like she stepped out to go to the lab, or to karate class, or even on one of the very few dates she goes on._ He looked around the room. _Normally I'd sit on that couch _He crossed to the couch by the window over looking the lab and sat down. _Just like this. Or if I was in the mood, I'd sit at her desk, just to tease her. _He got up again and sat behind the desk._ She'd come in looking at a file or on her cell phone, or calling an order behind her for Zach or Hodgins or Angela. Hell, even for Cam._

He could see her. He could see her sweeping into the room, her face turned, her husky voice raised an octave or two. He'd watch as her face would turn towards him, her eyes widening or narrowing depending on her mood when she saw him sitting there. And Booth would smile. He would always smile at her, whether he was greeting her, or bantering with her, or whatever. It seemed the natural response. Her stiff demeanor and random moments of social awkwardness made him smile.

"Hey," said a quiet voice from the doorway. Booth turned and saw Angela in the doorway, still crying, though her voice was mostly steady. "I saw you come in here."

Booth gave a short laugh smiling sadly. "Yeah," he said tracing the armrest with one hand looking down at the polished desk surface.

"You holding up ok?" Angela asked.

"Are you?" Booth asked glancing at her.

Angela sighed. "What do you think?"

Booth hit his fist softly against the armrest and looked up at the artist. "Guess I thought if I came in here, sat down, she'd come in. With another case or to grab a file on a two hundred year old bunch of bones." He gave Angela a crooked smile. "Pretty dumb. huh?"

Angela shook her head. "Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes to have hope. To have a hope that we'll get her and Jack out." Her lip quivered. "I can't believe the last thing I'll have ever said to him was that I hated him being so awkward around me." More tears slid down her face.

Booth got up and went to her, gripping her shoulder. "Hey now. Don't you talk like that. It'll be ok." Angela looked at him and he forced a reassuring smile onto his face. "It will work out. Okay?"

Angela smiled weakly. "Ok," she said softly. "Thanks, sweetie." Angela pat him on the shoulder and left. Booth watched her go, thinking how lonely the lab looked as she stepped up on the platform beside Zach and Cam. Where was Hodgins squinting in his microscope, fascinated by some weird bug or exotic fecal matter. That guy got way too excited about that stuff. Where was Bones, crouched over a skeleton, analyzing in her analytical, science voice.

If she died, if Hodgins died, if their team at the Jeffersonian was split forever…

_It's not just Hodgins down there. It's not just Bones. It's all of us. We're all in that hole with them and if they go down. We're all going down._

Booth looked back at the office. "Don't you give up on me Bones." _And I won't give up either,_ he thought, leaving her office, closing the door behind him._  
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Pain. Pain was the first thing that registered in Brennan's mind. Two sharp, stabbing pains at the base of her neck. Dark registered next. Darkness and stillness. No moving air, no light, nothing but her own breathing loud in her ears.

She opened her eyes, though nothing peeled back the black pressing into her eyes. Grasping out with her hands, her fingers stroked something soft by her legs. Some type of cloth. A seat. A car seat.

Her hands flew to the roof, fumbling around a light fixture until she found a switch. She pushed it and light sprang from above, spreading out into the unfamiliar vehicle, but outside was still black.

_Where am I? Why is it so dark. _Brennangrabbed the door handle and pulled, pushing with all her strength. It didn't budge. _Stuck? _She found the window button and pushed. There was a rumbling noise followed by a rush of falling dirt as she was pebbled with pieces of grit and rock.

_Dirt. That means…_ her faster than average brain went numb as she quickly put the clues together. _I've been buried. I've been buried alive._

There was a groan from somewhere behind her. Her throat tightened. It was a male and a familiar male at that. _Oh no…not Booth…_ She scrambled to look behind her, praying that her partner was not trapped with her either.

It wasn't Booth. "Oh my god Hodgins..." she reached out and shook him gently. "Hodgins are you alright? Can you talk?" She grabbed for his leg, trying to shake him into consciousness sooner. Something wet and sticky met her hand. Turning them over, she gasped when her normally pale skin was dripping in crimson liquid. Looking down, she saw that his legs were a mass of churned, cut and bruised flesh, darkened by dirt and stained with blood. The white of his bones showed in some places. It looked as though something had broken one bone and scraped both legs. Something metal, moving at a high speed.

"Dr. Brennan?" Hodgins moaned.

"Your legs... what happened to your legs?" Brennan asked.

Hodgins shook his head, his eyes glazed slightly. _He's been drugged. _"Where are we?

Brennan's face was grim. "We are buried alive...he must have got us

"Who?" Hodgins asked, wincing in pain.

"The grave digger," Brennan said. She looked at her hand, stained with Hodgins' blood. "Water. I have water." She looked around and sighed with small relief. Her bag, as well as another that most likely belonged to Jack, was in the passenger seat. "I was on my way to karate class so we have lots of bottled water."

Hodgins was coming awake now. "What happened?" he asked, his normally cheerful and sardonic voice laced with pain. "Where are we?"

"Last thing I remember is being at the lab," Brennan replied shaking her head.

"I am really confused," Hodgins said rubbing his face and looking down. Then he caught sight of his legs and his face went white. "What happened to my legs? Where are we?"

"Underground, buried," Brennan said, her voice firm and reasonable, trying to cut through Hodgins' panic. "I have a burn," she said, showing him two round burn marks on her neck.

Comprehension dawned on Hodgins's face. "Zach was trying to figure out what kind of stun gun…."

"It has to be the grave digger," Brennan said, her scientific voice in full swing. Panicking to her was useless. Calmly analyzing, comparing, and deciphering the situation would get them out sooner than blind fear. "I think he ran you down with his car and then pumped you full of drugs, to ruin your short term memory. Same as Ryan Cant."

"How long we've been down here?" Hodgins' voice cracked with panic.

"It would be 2 hours, I think."

"Okay. So this vehicle is…6... 60…" he stammered, his body shaking. "60 cubic feet of air…it's just…20 oxygen... for two people..." he buried his face in his hands. "My brain is not working!"

"The grave digger is very consistent," Brennan said steadily. "If we started with 12 hours of air, we'll be unconscious in 10. After that, if no one pays the ransom…"

"We're dead," Hodgins said simply.

Brennan nodded. _No. I have seen what our team can do. I have seen what Booth can do. They'll find us. Booth will find us. He found me when I was kidnapped and he was half-dead. He will find us.  
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Booth wanted to scream with impatience as he stood surrounded by Cam, Zach, and Angela. They were wasting time they didn't have. The clock on the computer screen counted down each second that Bones and Hodgins had left. Booth was very conscious of each breath he took in and out. Somehow, breathing comforted him. It was illogical, Bones would have said as much, but he convinced himself that as long as he could draw breath, as long as he could stay alert and living, he could save Bones. If he breathed…she would too.

"How are we gonna get our hands on eight million dollars?" Cam asked

"Hodgins is rich," Zach replied in his detached voice.

"He is?"

"Rich squared to the power of 10 times 4, is how he describes it."

"You're gonna pay the ransom, right?" Angela asked Booth, looking at him like a starved puppy looks at food.

"Yes, FBI standard ops, they won't work. The grave digger operates outside statistics." he replied, shocked out how normal he sounded. But then again, it was always like this. When danger and trouble and chaos surrounded him, he leaped into action. It was that way on all the cases, in his sniper days. Always. It would be so to find his partner.

"They'll fire you," Cam pointed out.

Booth actually grinned. "That's cool. One less reason to wear a suit." As if he cared. He wanted Bones and Hodgins out of that hole.

"How did the grave digger catch Brennan and Hodgins together?" Cam changed track.

"Bones was on her way to karate," Booth replied instantly. _I always know where she is…where's she going. God, I know her better than anyone. I know she'll pull through. _

"And Hodgins said that he found something huge..." Angela said, her voice shaking.

Zach's eyes widened and he looked at Angela. "…and he tried to catch Dr. Brennan!"

Booth turned around and headed for the door. "Parking Garage."

The team ran outside, down the stairs and across the street to the Jeffersonian parking structure. Cam passed them all and arrived first in the aisle with Dr. Brennan's parking spot.

A splash of ruby was smeared on the concrete.

"Here," she called.

Angela came running, her face white. "Oh my god. Oh that's blood isn't it?"

Booth rushed forward. "It'll turn out to be Hodgins's." Angela gasped and shook her head, hands over her mouth.

Zach shook his own head. "Dr. Brennan doesn't like it when we jump to conclusions."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate it. We're on a deadline," Cam remarked.

Booth glared at them all. "Look, Hodgins interrupted the kidnapping, just like Ryan and Matthew. The grave digger must have ran him over."

"And what are we gonna do?" Angela asked, her voice miles away, her face fixed on Hodgins's blood.

Booth's brain worked uncommonly fast. "Ok, it's a crime scene, alright? They'll look for tire tracks. They'll check the security cameras." He pointed at Zach. "I need you to be Dr. Brennan." _Bones. Bones you better be all right cuz I hate calling you Brennan._

"I don't know what that means," Zach said, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"It means keep working the case," Cam said in exasperation. Zach nodded and left.

"I need to know why Hodgins was chasing after Bones," Booth said.

"I'll look at his notes," Cam said, heading off.

"What about me?" Angela said. Booth looked at her. He had fully expected Angela to crumple what with both Hodgins and Brennan underground and in danger, but the sight of her boyfriend's blood had stiffened her resolve.

"Call Bones's brother Russ and tell him what's going on," Booth said firmly. "I'm gonna go talk to the chairman of The Cantilever Group." Angela nodded and walked off. "Angela?"

Angela turned to look at him.

"We'll find them. I promise."

"I know you will, Booth," Angela replied with a weak smile before heading off to do as she was bid.

_I said 'we'. WE will all find them. _Booth set off as a smile crept up his face. _But no one will work harder than I will. And everyone knows it too. _Booth headed for the lab, searching for a number for the Cantilever group and prodding his own feelings. _And why is that exactly? Why are all the squints looking at me like I can magically summon our friends outta that whole? I'm no miracle worker._

_But you never failed them before,_ Booth's more sensible side told him. _Between you and bones, the criminals don't get away, the victims get identified, the loved ones can be at peace knowing, and you pay back a bit of you debt, one scum bag behind bars at a time._

_But that's with Bones at my side, _said the cynical half of the agent._ She's the brains, I'm the intuition. Without her…_

_But that's not true either. You figured out that she had been kidnapped long before the others._ Booth grit his teeth as he remembered how he felt when he realized she was in danger. _I couldn't leave her side. If I did, I worried that she was hurt or in danger, or whatever. That's why I went to her apartment and insisted on staying._ He smiled as he remembered dancing to Hot Blooded. _That's why I was glad when the explosion hit me. That's why I stumbled, beat up and tore up, into that building after her. _He also remembered the day the hit was put out on her, the rage that ran through him._ That's why I shoved my gun down the mob guys throat so he would know—so everyone would know—that I will not let my partner get hurt._

Booth stopped dead. "Shit…"

Booth and Brennan both knew that the time would come when their partnership evolved. They were too close, to balanced, to perfect of a team to stop it. They had become comrades, they had become friends. But the dynamic, as Booth suddenly realized, was shifting again.

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Review please!!


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